a certain

idiom

—used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe

She has a certain elegance about her.

The house has a certain charm.

formal

—used with the name of a person one does not know

In 1889, a certain Mr. Kelly made a large donation to the church.

Examples of a certain in a Sentence

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For instance, a certain word, tone of voice, or even time of day can be a trigger when someone is not equipped to handle conflict. —

Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 2 Dec. 2024 This nightstand has a touch of Regency style, with a shellacked finish that gives it a certain polish. —

Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 2 Dec. 2024 That feature also comes in handy when trying to find a certain item in your bag. —

Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2024 Policy options include: Recycled content standard laws: Mandate that new products contain a certain percentage of recycled material, increasing the value of recycled metal and incentivizing private investment in urban mining. —

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for a certain